Enlarger In Need Of Adjustments?

[DF]

I allways have to re-use the grain focuser and re-focus the image when I make additional prints(same image). I don't know if it's the enlarger's focusing knob that's loose.
Also, sometimes parts of the scene are in focus, but if I move the grain focuser over abit, the area is out of focus. In this case, is the negative not being held down flat enough?

 

[ac12]

What enlarger and what size negative?

First focus the negative, then don't touch anything and watch thru the grain focuser. Is the image going out of focus? If so, you need to adjust/tighten the focusing controls or lens platform, depending on which enlarger you have.

Then, I would check the alignment of the enlarger; negative stage to baseboard, lens stage to baseboard. Actually I would do this anyway, so you know the enlarger is in alignment.

After the enlarger checks out, and you still have that problem, then I would look at the negative carrier. If you have a negative buckling problem, you may have to resort to using a glass carrier to hold the negative FLAT.

 

[ic-racer]

e, is the negative not being held down flat enough?

How is the glass being held together? Spring tension, or the weight of the enlarger head. Is the enlarger head sitting square on the carrier to press it together?

 

[BMbikerider]

You may be suffering from the negative getting warm under the heat of the lamp and then 'popping' into another plane of focus. The only long term satisfactory answer is to get a negative carrier which has at least one half fitted with glass covering the top of the negative. This glass must be the 'Anti Newton Ring' type or you will get concentric, oddly shaped circles, appearing on the print. If you get a carrier that has glass top and bottom then there there will be no problem with ring from the bottom glass. However I have always found a double glass carrier seems to attract more dust.

My enlarger, a LPL6700 has a glassless carrier for 35mm and that same problem was solved by fixing a Anti Newton ring glass from a 35mm transparency mount to the upper half using double sided adhesive tape. Every now and again I remove it to clean properly, refitting it with a new piece of tape.

Most medium format (and above) enlargers have the glass carriers fitted as standard with ANR glass already in place.

 

[henseman]

I have just received a Saunders/LPL Super Dichroic 4500 II enlarger and am wondering if someone could tell me the proper procedure to check/align it.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[DF]

A negative carrier that is of two pieces of glass on both sides to hold it down? All this extra glass - wouldn't it further degrade the image? So the tradeoff is a flat negative - doesn't seem worth it. 'Course I can't say I completely know what I'm talking about, given my experiance.

 

[tkamiya]

I do the same. Refocus for each print.

I think it's negative getting warm, enlarger getting warm, and lens focus stage moving. (there's no way to lock it on D2)